11/05/2025
A custom tile shower adds a level of elegance to your bathroom, as well as improving the value of the home. Done correctly, it will outlive you.
But if you spend any time talking to people about custom showers, you'll very quickly run into horror stories. Leaks into the subfloor, rotten 2x4s in the walls, a foul smell that slowly takes over the bathroom. These things can turn into nightmares.
The truth is, water slowly destroys anything organic, like the wood that your home is built of, and anything that is going to be wet has to be built with this in mind. Hiring a contractor who knows how to do this, and who is careful enough to follow industry best practices, is extremely important.
But anyone can tell you they follow best practices, or that they know what they're doing. How can you, as a lay person, know if you've hired someone who actually knows what they're doing? Below are some quick questions you can ask, and the signs to look for in their answers.
"What are your opinions on Red Guard and Schluter?"
There are many different acceptable systems for waterproofing a shower, and it's not reasonable to think you should know all of them. Not even every contractor is familiar with every system. If your contractor is using a system other than Red Guard or Schluter, it's not a red flag. But at a minimum, they should at least know enough about these very common systems to have opinions.
Red Guard is a "liquid membrane" system. After the shower walls are built (often with cement board), it is painted over the entire system. When it dries, it creates a waterproof layer that keeps the water where it should be. Schluter is a system that uses either a fabric sheet, or foam boards to do the same thing. Schluter is more expensive, but goes in faster and comes with an excellent warranty.
If the contractor doesn't seem to know about these systems, it is very unlikely they know how to waterproof at all. Find someone else.
"How do you make sure you have full thinset coverage when you lay the tiles?"
Thinset is the cement glue that holds tiles to the walls. For a wet area, it is extremely important that there be no empty air pockets. These can collect water, and then mold. The industry standard for a wet area is to have 95% coverage on the back of every tile.
The only acceptable answer to this question is "back buttering," especially if the tile is larger. This means that, in addition to troweling thinset onto the wall, the contractor also scraps a thin layer on the back of the tile itself. This little bit of extra time and effort makes such a difference in the longevity of the project!
"What do you use for the corners?"
Any change of plane (like where two walls meet) should not have grout. Grout has no give to it, and as your home expands and contracts through the years, grout in corners is almost guaranteed to crack. The correct method is either to use silicone caulk, or a specially designed corner trim piece.
"What kind of training have you had in your preferred system?"
The companies that manufacture these different shower systems provide training for contractors to learn to use their products. While there are many good contractors who haven't attended these trainings, it's always a good sign when they have taken the time to learn the proper methods for their system. You want to hire someone who takes their craft seriously.
"Can I see pictures of previous projects?"
Look at the little details in their previous projects. Are the grout lines straight and consistent? Is the spacing of the tiles consistent? Can you see visible chips in the tile from cutting? When the project is finished, you'll be looking at the details for years, so make sure you get someone who cares about those details.
If you have any questions about shower projects, feel free to drop them in the comments below, or shoot me a message!
